Flight by Night
by TFSuperfan
Summary: Darkflight has a sketchy past.  Word is she used to be a Decepticon, but turned when something went bad.  Now, she's the best recon agent the Autobots have.  Everybody but one can she she likes someone, and it's driving her mad.
1. Prologue

"Please, Megatron! No! No!"

A blast of cannon fire was heard and Darkflight winced. Outback had been a good spy for her cause. The Autobot reconnaissance agent turned off the lights in her optics, leaped up, and hung invisibly from the rafters as the door she had been holding her audio receptors against slid open and the Decepticon leader walked out, looking pleased with himself.

"Master, is the execution complete?" asked Shockwave who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

"Yes," Megatron rasped, "and I trust you have plenty of information as to the Autobots' plans?"

"Indeed, I do, my lord. They plan to attack at sunrise in 3 days' time. Most likely they will attempt to cut an opening into the top of the structure after disabling our automatic defenses. We could easily ambush the party as they approach."

"Excellent," Megatron said as he rubbed his hands together. "Take the body out and dispose of it, then make sure the troops are ready for battle."

"Yes, master," Shockwave said, bowing to his superior. The purple Decepticon went in to take away the metal carcass of Outback as Megatron walked off down the hallway to his quarters. With the head gone, it was time for action.

Darkflight silently hit the floor and pulled out her null ray. Shockwave wasn't looking at her, and the pistol made no sound when Darkflight pulled the trigger. The ray hit the second-in-command square in the back of the head, and he toppled over. Darkflight replaced her weapon with a laser scalpel and stole over to his unconscious form. Opening the top of his head, she worked quickly to alter his memory chips. After Darkflight finished, she picked Outback up, slung him over her shoulder, and made her way to the door.

"Where to go..." she mumbled to herself. Tapping her wrist, Darkflight looked at the 3-D map that appeared and chose a path. She set off down the winding metal pathways that created the Decepticon base, being careful not to be seen by sentrybots or guards, as well as staying away from alarms and making sure she stayed on the right track. As she rounded the last corner between her and freedom, Darkflight spotted Starscream standing guard at the entrance, tapping his foot and looking around, obviously unhappy. She hid behind a stack of spare parts and waited.

"Hey, Screamer," Thundercracker called as he walked up to the red and white Seeker moments later, "it's my turn for guard duty."

"Finally," Starscream said impatiently. As he stalked off, he muttered, "If I were leader, we would have consistent changes in guard... 2 megacycles at the most..."

Darkflight waited until Starscream had gone, then she turned off her hologram projector, and Thundercracker disappeared. She plucked a hand from the pile of parts she was using as cover and crossed to the door. She pressed it to the scanner next to the entrance, and activated the jets in her feet, taking off. Her next destination: the Ark.

_This is just a prologue of a story I have brewing in my mind. Keep in mind, this is my first fic. Please don't be too harsh. I can't draw worth scrap, so I won't be putting up a link to deviantART or anything with Darkflight._  
_Transformers (c) Hasbro Darkflight (c) Me_

_Now, let's find some plot bunnies...  
_


	2. All Alone

Darkflight looked down and saw the familiar volcano she called home. She swooped down, feeling unhappy that the beautiful solitude she enjoyed so much would soon end. She put a finger to the side of her head and said, "Prime, this is Darkflight. I am approaching headquarters from the air."

After a second, the comlink buzzed back to life, and the voice of Optimus Prime replied, "Good. Did you rescue Outback?"

"I- Um..." Darkflight sighed. "It's not good."

Optimus didn't say anything.

When the recon agent touched down, she saw Optimus, Prowl, Ratchet, and—Darkflight shuddered inwardly— Wheeljack were gathered to greet her.

Darkflight saw their faceplates turn mournful as she carried Outback's body forward. There was a gaping hole right through his Spark chamber. Darkflight hung her head in shame. "I— I couldn't save him, Optimus. Outback was executed by Megatron himself." Ratchet came forward and received the body from Darkflight, then he walked back inside.

Optimus laid a hand on Darkflight's shoulder. "Darkflight, there was nothing you could do. The work of an inside agent is a dangerous one. I'm sure Outback wouldn't have wanted it any other way."

Prowl spoke up. "We should break the news to the others."

Darkflight was glad for a distraction. "Optimus, sir, is it okay if I retire to my quarters?"

The leader nodded, and Darkflight raised a hand as she walked slowly into the fallen spacecraft. "'Night, all."

The others said good night, and Darkflight sighed as she placed her hand on the scanner next to her door and sat down on the bed. She put her head in her hands and thought back. Outback and she had been friends ever since... it happened. He was her first friend, and now he was gone. Megatron had no respect for life, Autobot or otherwise. If it was possible, her optics would've sprung a leak. No matter, she would have been able to fix it. In her lifetime, Darkflight had been in many professions: medic, warrior, scientist... It would take a long time to list them all.

It was a strange feeling when a friend died. It wasn't like a Decepticon death, it was different. It was the loss of a being filled with memories, good and bad. Decepticons only had bad memories. Terrible memories...

Darkflight's train of thought was interrupted when there was a knock on her door.

"Darkflight?" said a familiar voice.

"Come in," Darkflight said without thinking.

Wheeljack walked in the dark room, his optics the only light Darkflight could see.

"Do you want a light on?" he asked. Darkflight knew he could see perfectly well in the dark, he just wanted to strike up small talk.

"No, I like it dark when I'm... grieving." Darkflight felt uncomfortable with him there; he didn't know how she felt about him. Everyone else could see it perfectly, but Wheeljack seemed blind to it.

"Look," he said as he sat down next to Darkflight, "I know he was your friend. But he wouldnt've wanted to die festering in a prison. He knew the dangers of his work, and he accepted it. You know that, you knew him well."

Darkflight looked sideways at the inventor. "I know, it's just... He was my first Autobot friend. If it wasn't for him, I probably wouldn't be here now. He stood up for me when the others became suspicious of my... past. He was my only friend in a cold, lonely world. And now, he's just... gone."

Wheeljack wrapped an arm around Darkflight's shoulders; she gave a small start. "I'm not going to pretend that I understand exactly what you're going through, but I'll tell you this: It'll get better. It'll take a while, but it will. Losing a friend... it's not an enjoyable experience, but time heals scars. It's a better medic than Ratchet, to say the least." He chuckled, and so did she. It felt nice to sit here, his arm around her shoulder. Too bad he didn't understand... "Anyway, trust me, you'll be fine. If there's anything you need..."

"Thanks, Wheeljack. I'll be fine."

As Wheeljack stood and took his arm off Darkflight, she resisted the urge to tell him to stay. He turned around and said,"'Night."

"Good night," Darkflight said. The door opened, flooding the room with light, then it was dark, and Darkflight was alone once more. He didn't understand... Why?

)*(*)*(

As Wheeljack walked to the med bay, he spotted Ratchet.

"Darkflight's taking the loss pretty hard," Wheeljack told the medic.

Ratchet gave a small chuckle.

"What?" Wheeljack asked.

Sunstreaker and Sideswipe walked into the med bay and said together, "Isn't it obvious?"

"Oh, you guys aren't still going on about that, are you?" Wheeljack said, sounding exasperated.

"But come on! It's so obvious!" Sunstreaker said, his optics glinting.

"Everyone can see it but you," Sideswipe quipped with a laugh.

Wheeljack sighed and turned to Ratchet. "Ratchet, surely you don't—"

"I don't know," the medic said, "she does seem to fancy you."

Wheeljack palmed his face. "You guys are crazy."

"Maybe so," Sideswipe replied.

"But you should think about it especially since..." Sunstreaker finished, letting his sentence hang on purpose.

The scientist looked at the smirking twins in disbelief. "Even if she did... you know... it's not morally right to take advantage of her during a moment of weakness."

Ratchet looked at Wheeljack. "Since when are you an expert on feelings?"

Wheeljack ignored this, instead asking, "Anyone want some oil?"

)*(*)*(

The next morning, Darkflight felt haggard. She hadn't rested well; although she shut down most of her processor, she still kept getting flashes of memories of Outback. The electrical pulses in her processor were glitching up, she concluded as she trudged to the med bay to perform some self-diagnostics.

On her way, she saw Bumblebee.

"Good morning, 'Bee," she groaned.

"Hey, Darkflight. Listen, I'm real sorry about—"

"Don't be," Darkflight said as she held up a hand to silence the yellow Autobot. "He would've wanted to die that way."

Bumblebee nodded and continued on down the hall.

As Darkflight arrived in the bay, she walked to the diagnostic machine and hooked herself up to it. She turned it on and sat hugging her legs to her body, optics closed, on a nearby bed as the machine beeped and sent small shocks through her processor.

Ratchet walked in and saw her sitting there. She didn't see the medic and jumped when he said, "Memories disturbing your sleep?"

Darkflight looked at him in surprise and said, "Yeah, how did you know?"

Ratchet shrugged and merely replied, "When you've been a medic for as long as I have, you learn things."

Darkflight accepted that answer and the two stayed there, Darkflight sitting on the bed, Ratchet leaning his back against the diagnostic machine. Finally, the machine gave a long beep to signal its work was done.

Darkflight jumped off of the bed and checked the results. Nothing abnormal.

"It's not going to show up as out of the ordinary," Ratchet said.

"Why?"

"It's a bit complicated."

"I understand complicated things," Darkflight said.

"Very well," Ratchet sighed. "Well, you know how humans have dreams? Well, it's essentially very similar to Transformers. Our 'dreams', however, are triggered by a traumatic event. The loss of a close comrade, for example. It brings about memories of the subject of the event. It has something to do with the section of the processor that deals with memories. I don't exactly know the specifics of the mechanism, it's not understood very well."

"I see," Darkflight murmured, drinking in every word. "Have you ever—"

"Once." Ratchet's tone indicated he didn't want to talk about it.

Optimus entered the med bay and said, "Ratchet, I've been looking for you. Do you have a moment?"

"Of course, Prime." Ratchet walked over to his superior and looked over his shoulder. "Bye."

Darkflight put up a hand and listened until the footsteps faded away. Then, she climbed back up on the bed and pulled her legs close to her body, wishing the whole thing had just been a dream. Everything except...

Darkflight's thoughts jumbled together as she felt her processor begin to go to sleep.

"Please, Megatron! No! No!"

"It'll get better."

"The loss of a close comrade, for example."

"Master, is the execution complete?"

"If there's anything you need..."

"I'll always have your back!"

Darkflight jolted up. "O-Outback?" No, it had just been another memory. Just another memory... Darkflight laid down and curled up in a fetal position. Again, she got that sinking feeling... The feeling she knew so well... Being all alone...

The last thought Darkflight had before her processor went on standby was the feeling of loneliness, like she didn't have anyone... Like she had lost everything and everyone... all over again...

_Yeah! Over 1500 words minus this note! Do any of you think Outback talks with an Australian accent? Because he doesn't... Or didn't, rather._

_ Review? For ze childrens?_


	3. Missed in Memory

"Ravage, attack!" Soundwave's metallic voice droned as he released the Cassetticon.

There was a yelp of surprise and laser fire as someone tried to fend off Ravage.

"No, don't hurt him!" Darkflight screeched.

Everything seemed to freeze. Soundwave stared at her, Ravage turned his head to look as the Autobot pinned beneath him squirmed.

Darkflight recovered quickly. "I want to take care of him myself," she growled, her optics flashing dangerously. She stomped over to Ravage and placed a foot on the chest of the Autobot, keeping him held fast to the ground.

Soundwave contemplated for a moment, then decided it was satisfactory. "Ravage, return," he said before walking away.

The Autobot's blue optics locked with his captor's red ones, narrowed in suspicion, anger, and disbelief. He was about to be killed by a _girl_. How shameful.

"You idiot!" Darkflight hissed, much to the Autobot's surprise.

"W-what?"

"Ravage could've killed you!" She kicked the Autobot's side. "Get up, you disgraceful piece of scrap."

The Autobot obeyed, if not only because Darkflight held a null ray roughly to his head. He retained his calm composure. "So, what's a pretty femme like you doing-"

"Shut up!" Darkflight accented the remark with a hit on the head with the butt of her gun. "You're lucky I got Soundwave to leave, you would've been slagged."

What was that the Autobot heard? Caring? From a Decepticon...?

"It'd be best if you got out of here before Soundwave comes back."

"Hmm-hmm... What's your name, sweetie?"

"Why would you care?" Darkflight said, not letting her guard down.

"I don't know, but I could tell you my name first."

"Fine then," Darkflight muttered.

"The name's Outback," Outback said, extending a hand in greeting.

"Hrmph... I'm Darkflight," the Decepticon said, accepting the handshake. "Well, Outback, as I said, you should leave. Now," she added when Outback opened his mouth to object. The Autobot nodded solemnly and ran off into the woods.

Darkflight turned and transformed into a motorcycle. Starscream always said she should be ashamed, a Decepticon with a ground mode. She didn't care. She always loved the ground, never the air. She zoomed off in the opposite direction.

"And you call yourself a Decepticon..." Starscream's disgusted remark echoed into space, one that Darkflight had heard plenty of times before. The last word resounded several times, Darkflight cringing each time that foul word was uttered: "Decepticon."

)*(*)*(

Darkflight woke with a start. Another memory. One of the most painful yet. Their first meeting. She never could work out exactly why she had spared him, told Soundwave and Ravage off while she had never done that before or since. She remembered her formerly red optics, which had turned blue when she had sided with the Autobots. A strange matter, indeed...

A quick check of her internal clock told Darkflight that it was almost 11 o'clock in the morning. She had gone into standby for almost three hours. She suddenly remembered something urgent. She pressed a finger to the side of her head and said, "Optimus, sir?"

For a second, Darkflight didn't think her message had gone through. Then, Optimus replied, "Yes, Darkflight, go ahead."

"It's urgent, a matter of extreme importance; not something I think is safe for discussion over radio."

Optimus said, "Very well. Meet me by Teletraan 1 A.S.A.P."

"Yes, sir." Darkflight leaped off the bed and ran to Teletraan 1 as fast as she could. When she arrived, she saw Optimus Prime was already there.

"Optimus, sir, sorry to keep you waiting."

"Not at all."

"Thank you, sir. When you sent me on that mission last night, I heard Megatron and Shockwave conversing."

"And?"

"Sir, they know about our plan to attack their base."

Optimus Prime was calm and collected as he thought for a moment. "Well, they must've gotten ahold of the information somehow. What do you think?"

Darkflight mulled it over for a little bit. "Perhaps Soundwave snuck in the base in tape recorder mode? I don't think there could be a traitor, but one of the Decepticons must've relayed the info to Megatron."

The Autobot leader listened to the suggestion and considered it. "Perhaps... I need some time to think about this," he said. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my quarters."

"Yes, sir," Darkflight said with a salute. She watched Prime walk away and thought of how good he was, his pureness of Spark. He most certainly deserved the Matrix of Leadership...

Darkflight stood there, staring in the direction in which Optimus had gone, until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned, only to find Sunstreaker.

"Oh, it's you. I thought you were-"

"Yeah, I know. We all know," the Autobot said.

If Darkflight had been a human, she would have been blushing.

"Anyway, I was just thinking. You like him, right?" One second, he was grinning, the next, he was doubled over, and in another, he was on the ground.

"Don't go messing in my life. Live your own," Darkflight said menacingly. She turned and walked to her room. After pummeling the yellow Lamborghini twin, she needed some peace and quiet. The darkness and calm air of the individual barrack was a perfect sanctuary for Darkflight in moments of calamity. She laid down on the bed and shut off her optics. Some peace would be most welcome.

)*(*)*(

"Hey, have you seen- Whoa." Wheeljack stared at Sunstreaker, who was still lying on the floor as Darkflight had left him.

"She went to her room," Sunstreaker said.

"What happened to you?" Wheeljack asked, amused.

"Oh, I just tried to get her to admit she liked you, and, well..." Sunstreaker held up an arm that was dripping energon. "Quite a keeper you've got."

Wheeljack sighed. "Oh, what are we gonna do with you?" The inventor helped his fellow Autobot to the med bay and patched him up.

"You going to talk to her now?" Sunstreaker teased as Wheeljack walked towards the exit.

"As a matter of fact, yes I am," Wheeljack replied. He needed to ask Darkflight about something...

"Good. Tell her she could've ruined my paint job."

)*(*)(*(

A knock on her door.

"May I come in?"

"Feel free."

Wheeljack stepped yet again into the darkness of Darkflight's room. "Do you always have it dark in here?"

"Not always. Since last night, though, I've kept it in darkness." Darkflight's simple matter-of-fact tone worried Wheeljack slightly.

"Mmhmm. Why darkness?"

Darkflight's still figure lying on the bed said simply, "I like it peace, quiet, and dark when I feel down."

"Darkflight, are you all right?"

The figure on the bed sighed a deep, sad, heaving sigh. "No. I don't think I am. Perhaps I'm overreacting. Maybe it's just the way I mourn. I just feel this is right."

Wheeljack sat down on the bed and looked at the recon agent. "You just don't seem yourself since Outback died."

"Well, 'Jack, think of it this way. If the base was raided right now and they took Ratchet, would you go after him?"

"Yes."

"How would you feel if you were right outside the door, just three inches of metal separating you two as he was brutally executed by Megatron?"

There was no answer, so Darkflight continued.

"We each have our own way of grieving a lost friend. Maybe you would pretend nothing happened and continue with life. I, on the other hand, choose to lie in my bed in silence and tell anyone who cares to listen how I feel." She said this all very simply, as if she were having a casual conversation. "In a way, I keep my feelings bottled up inside, I suppose. I don't break down, sobbing on someone's shoulder. I'll just relate what I know or want others to know."

Wheeljack felt a twinge of sympathy for the figure lying on the bed. She made it all sound so simple, like it was just an everyday discussion. "You miss him a lot, don't you?"

"Yes, very much. He was like a big brother to me, defending me from others who wished me harm or were malicious towards me. He was my first true friend." Wheeljack noticed Darkflight's optic had sprung a leak, though she didn't seem to notice.

Darkflight smiled a sad little smile, and said, "Though I may miss him, I know he watches over me and wishes that I be strong." She spoke like a lost child. One who had just lost it all.

)*(*)*(

Darkflight reactivated her optics and sat up. She scooted forward so she and Wheeljack sat next to each other again. They spent a lot of time like that lately... "I do miss him so very much," she whispered, just loud enough for the bot next to her to hear.

Wheeljack put his arm around Darkflight's shoulder again and looked at her bright optics. "We'll get through this. I know it. Oh, and Sunstreaker said you could've ruined his paint job." They shared a small laugh as he rubbed her shoulder and they both sat there in the darkness for a very long time in complete silence.

_ Wow, I started breaking down while writing this. Poor, poor Darkflight! Spiral, spiral, spiral. I just wanted to reveal a little about the mystique of Darkflight's personality... does that make sense? Revealing mystique? Hm... Well, review, tell a friend, keep watching, blah, blah, blah..._


	4. Moving On

Over the next couple days, there were no Decepticon attacks. Obviously, they were preparing for the nonexistent Autobot invasion plan. Darkflight took advantage of this short span of quiet to stay in the solitude of her quarters. Once or twice a day, someone would pop in to fill her in on recent goings-on or any news. Optimus seemed to understand what Darkflight was going through and kept her off of patrol duty.

The night before the suspected invasion, somebody knocked on Darkflight's door.

"Come in," Darkflight called.

Jazz entered the darkness and looked around. "Whoa, looks like you need some light in here."

"No," Darkflight sighed. She had been sighing a lot lately. "I like it dark when I'm not feeling real well."

Jazz looked at Darkflight and said, "That's what I wanted to ask you about. You haven't been Darkflight lately."

"Heh, Wheeljack said the same thing... What do you mean?"

"Well, you stay in your room all day, you only talk to people who come into your room, and you just mope around in the dark." Jazz didn't usually take this kind of tone; it was agitated, upset.

"This is how I mourn a loss," Darkflight answered.

"Look, Darkflight," Jazz said assertively, "you've got to get out. Have some fun, enjoy the fresh air."

"I don't want to." Darkflight turned so that her back was to Jazz, her face to the wall.

Jazz walked over to where the female lay and hooked his arms under hers, lifting Darkflight to her feet.

She turned around, switched on her optics, and frowned at the special operations officer. "Jazz, I don't really feel like-"

"Oh, yes, you do," Jazz cut across her. "You need to get up and try to forget. I know the real Darkflight, I know she's inside you somewhere. The one who likes to crack a joke once in a while just to make herself laugh. The one who would go out for a drive in the evening whether she had permission or not. The Darkflight I knew would want to do combat training for her own amusement for hours on end, each run different from the last. What would Outback think if he knew you were just lying in bed all day?"

He had struck a nerve. Darkflight stiffened and thought deeply about Jazz's words. Outback would think she was just being weak. He would scold her for her behavior. Darkflight looked at Jazz and smiled suddenly. "You're right. Outback would tell me to be ashamed of myself, acting like this." She stepped forward and hugged Jazz. "Thanks for helping me see it."

Jazz chuckled. "No problem. Now, let's go out for a night on the town!"

They both walked out of the room and down the hallway, stopping at the entrance. Jazz put a finger to the side of his head and said, "Prime, I'm taking Darkflight out for an evening drive. I think it'll cheer her up a bit."

Darkflight put a finger on Jazz's shoulder just in time to hear the leader reply, "That's a great idea, Jazz."

"It is a great idea," Darkflight said as she transformed into a purple and black motorcycle.

Jazz transformed into his vehicle mode and they sped off.

)*(*)*(

Darkflight lay in her bed, thinking about how in the world she had forgotten the beauty of the city at night. The cars, buildings, and billboards shining brightly, the people walking everywhere, and the interesting chatter that filled the air.

She and Jazz drove around and visited plenty of cool places around the city: first, to a dance club where people were amazed at the sight of two Autobots dancing away. Next, to a long bridge, from which they saw the city as a whole, a large glimmering crown that was filled with life and light. Finally, they found a secluded hill and lay on the grass, stargazing and pointing out constellations. Somehow, looking at stars reminded her of looking up at the sky on Cybertron. Oh, how she missed Cybertron...

The metal surface, the many hundreds of cities and communities on its cracked surface. Back in the Golden Age of Cybertron, when everyone lived peacefully together, she would often visit Maccadam's Oil House for a drink. They had the best oil on the whole planet. What she wouldn't give to return to the way things used to be on Cybertron...

Darkflight quietly stalked across the ground, thinking if this was a good idea. She'd never been so far into Autobot territory before. There could be an ambush waiting for her, or someone could just jump her from behind. She had no place to stay, though, since the Decepticons had kicked her out days ago. She had to find somewhere to settle safely for the night. Not some rundown air hangar like last night. No, she'd almost been caught then. She returned her mind to the present and found cover.

Peering out cautiously from behind the rock, Darkflight watched as Hound returned inside the Ark and Outback took his place. She made sure Outback was the only one out there before whispering, "Psst! Outback!"

The Autobot jumped and whisper-yelled, "Who's there? I've got a laser pistol, and I'm not afraid to use it!" To show he wasn't bluffing, Outback pulled his weapon.

"Outback, you fool, it's me, Darkflight!" Darkflight whispered, though not moving.

"Darkflight? Who's... Oh! Darkflight!" A look of realization spread across his faceplate, but was quickly replaced by suspicion. "Wait, how do I know this isn't some Decepticon trick?"

"Because," Darkflight stood and walked into open space. "I'm here."

Outback's optics brightened. "Darkflight! How've you been?"

Darkflight stepped forward, crossed her arms, and sighed, "Not good. The 'Cons kicked me out."

"Why?"

Darkflight didn't answer. She couldn't. "I know you're only being nice because I spared you." Outback nodded, and Darkflight swallowed whatever small bit of pride she had left and said, "Outback, I want to join the Autobots."

Taken by surprise, Outback gasped. "Join the... But they'll tear you apart, you wear Decepticon colors!"

Darkflight had expected this. "Outback, look, I understand if you won't take me in because you'll be accused of treachery-"

"Never mind that," the Autobot said quickly. "I don't want them to kill you!"

Darkflight kicked a rock on the ground as she thought of how kind this bot must be, to refuse her entry out of fear for her life and not demotion. "I've heard many stories of Optimus Prime's greatness and compassion. If it's all I have to go on, at least it's better than staying under Megatron's rule."

Outback frowned and said, "But the others-"

"Never mind them. If I have to die, I'd want to die as anything other than a Decepticon. If you'll deny me that one wish of seeing Optimus Prime, then I can go now and we'll never see each other again." With this, Darkflight ripped off the Decepticon logo that had so long adorned her chest and her optics turned yellow: the symbol of a bot's neutrality.

Outback looked around, obviously trying to come up with something, but couldn't. "Fine. But they aren't gonna like it."

Outback and Darkflight walked into the Ark together, ready to face whatever would come of the former Decepticon's arrival.

Darkflight wasn't disturbed by the memory. This time, she embraced it, glad she could so vividly remember her first friend. Finally, she could get some real sleep.

"Thanks, Jazz," she mumbled before going on standby.

)*(*)*(

Yay! I'm updating both of my stories at 1 in the morning and I am wide awake! I wish I had some chocolate... Anyway, I've gotten over Darkflight's emotional hump so now I can actually get to a real storyline! ... Somehow, I'm amused, ashamed, and happy about that. Hrmph. But yes, reviews are welcome, as always, and suggestions even more... welcome!


	5. Beginnings of War

A violent shaking sensation woke Darkflight. She jumped up and ran out into the hallway to find herself nearly trampled by a group of Autobots running past. Confused, she grabbed the first arm she could find and held the bot back.

"Darkflight, what is it?" Cliffjumper asked.

"I was going to ask you the same thing!" Darkflight shouted as the sounds of Autobots preparing for war arose quickly just down the hall.

"The Decepticons are attacking!" Cliffjumper yelled back. "It's a full scale assault, everyone's out there: Megatron, the Seekers, and the Insecticons brought their whole army!"

"Has the base been infiltrated?"

"Yeah, Ravage got in, but we don't know where he is," Cliffjumper answered, starting to pull away.

Darkflight nodded and called after the retreating Transformer, "Tell Optimus I'm going to look for Ravage!"

Cliffjumper gave a thumbs up to show he'd heard and both Autobots ran in opposite directions.

Darkflight activated her radar and picked up a Decepticon energy signal located next to Teletraan 1. "He's going after Teletraan!" Darkflight realized aloud as she transformed for more speed. Sure enough, when Darkflight arrived in the large room, she found Ravage was standing on Teletraan's keyboard, tearing wires out and smashing the interface. "Hey, Ravage!"

The Cassetticon turned and spotted Darkflight. Leaping off of the Autobot computer, he bounded toward the female and jumped at her faceplate.

Darkflight pulled her null ray like a pro and shot a beam at Ravage. It missed, but was enough to throw her attacker off. Ravage redirected his path and landed near an entrance. "I dare you," Darkflight muttered.

Ravage began to run at Darkflight again, but didn't stop when his target stepped aside. Something wasn't right.

Darkflight turned to see what Ravage was running towards and yelled, "Look out!"

Huffer was tackled to the ground by Ravage and writhed as he tried to fight. Darkflight tried to aim, but there was no clear shot unless she risked hitting her comrade. She had to think quickly, or Huffer would... "Hey, ugly!"

Ravage turned and growled at Darkflight, forgetting his attack as he bunched up his hind legs and prepared to leap. Darkflight glanced at Huffer and winked, which he returned.

Darkflight gestured for Ravage to come closer. "Come on, you hunk of scrap metal. I dare you to try. Come on!"

Ravage took a giant leap and almost made it to Darkflight. Almost. Ravage fell to the floor, automatically transforming into a cassette tape. Darkflight looked at Huffer, whose gun pointed cautiously at the unconscious Decepticon.

"Good job," Darkflight said as she helped the smaller Autobot up. "You can put that down, he's out cold."

Huffer holstered his gun and said, "What happened?"  
"We're being attacked by Decepticons. Are you going to fight?"

"What other choice do I have?" Huffer asked in a sad tone like he always did.

"Well, come on then," Darkflight called over her shoulder as she picked Ravage up and bolted.

)*(*)*(

Darkflight sped out into the sunlight to find a scene of mass chaos. Deceptions and Autobots were everywhere, fighting and shooting. Some were fighting hand to hand, like Ironhide and Soundwave. Others were shooting it out, like Ratchet and Starscream. Still others fought with a combination of the two, like Optimus Prime and Megatron, who would shoot at each other, roll out of the way, and begin throwing punches. Looking up, she spied Powerglide and Skywarp engaged in a fierce dogfight.

The first thing Darkflight did was throw Ravage as hard as she could. No point in keeping him around. She saw Bluestreak attempting to fend off an attack by eight Insecticons and rushed over to help.

"Darkflight! What have you been up to?" Bluestreak asked as he fired at a copy of Bombshell, sending it flying.

"Oh, you know, just getting Ravage out of the base," she said.

"That's good." The two Autobots dispatched the remaining Insecticons. "Right, I'm off to shoot up some Decepticons," Bluestreak said afterward, departing.

Darkflight skimmed the battlefield, searching for any Autobots in need of assistance. As she did so, something knocked her over from behind. Turning over to see who it was, she saw a descending figure speedily growing larger. Darkflight rolled quickly to the side and hopped up as Thundercracker's fist drove into the ground her head had been moments before.

"You!" the Decepticon snarled.

"Me," Darkflight said casually as she walked a little farther away and drew her weapon.

Thundercracker ran at Darkflight and raised his arm, shooting off his laser rapidly. Darkflight avoided the ones she could, stopped some from reaching her by shooting them, and took the others. When Thundercracker drew too close, she put her arms out to the side and front-flipped over the blue Seeker.

Darkflight landed, but took a blow to the shoulder from Thundercracker and fell to her knees. The tables were turning; she had to end it now. Pulling out the other pistol she always kept handy, she stayed otherwise still, watching Thundercracker's shadow slowly cover her own. Listening closely, she heard his laser power up, and at the last moment, flattened herself to the ground, rolled around him, and sprang up so quickly, he didn't see she was gone until the flying dust cleared and he was being attacked by an army of shots from Darkflight's guns.

The Autobot stopped when Thundercracker was face down on the dirt, his back riddled with holes that poured pinkish energon all over the ground and pooled around the Decepticon. Darkflight had been careful to avoid his head and Spark chamber, any vital structures, but if he leaked too much energon, well... Then they'd have one less Seeker to worry about.

Looking around, Darkflight saw the Decepticons overpowering their foes, and she jumped in. Sharpshooting with her two guns, the female managed to save six Autobots and destroy many Insecticon clones. Megatron saw this and fired one last shot at Optimus Prime before yelling, "Decepticons, retreat!"

The Decepticons flew up into the sky, and Brawn yelled, "Hey, you forgot one!" before throwing Thundercracker at the airborne Decepticons, hitting Starscream.

The Autobots cheered over their victory and watched the Decepticons fly away until they disappeared in the distance.

)*(*)*(

After Ratchet had fixed everyone's wounds and repaired Teletraan 1, everyone began talking to one another. Several Autobots came up to Darkflight and related details of their battles with the Decepticons.

"I shot him right in the Spark, I swear it!"

"He just begged for mercy, 'Please, don't shoot!' Ha!"

"Threw him right over my shoulder, I did!"

Darkflight doubted a third of these stories went exactly as they were told, but went along with them, nodding and inserting "Really?"s and "Amazing!"s where they were needed. Nobody asked how her encounters went, and she was glad of it. It wouldn't seem very heroic to say you shot a Decepticon in the back so many times he was leaking energon like a water balloon somebody had pricked several times with a needle.

The Autobots began to disperse as night fell, and soon, only a few remained.

Optimus spoke suddenly. "We may have won against the Decepticons today, but the worst is yet to come."

Ironhide looked at his superior. "Why da ya say that, Prime?"

"I've known Megatron for eons. I know his battle tactics and how his mind works when planning an attack. This attack was not the last. Rather, the first in a long series of brutal clashes in which both sides will undoubtedly suffer losses."

Darkflight gazed at the leader from the chair in which she sat and said, "But which side will lose more?"

"Not ours, if I can help it," Ratchet said proudly.

"An' I'll be on the front lines, bashing those Decepti-creeps' heads together like scrap metal!" Ironhide punched one fist into his open hand.

Darkflight looked at her teammates and said, "I'll provide vital reconnaissance information, too. Undetectable and always listening." With that, she stood and glided out of the room to turn in for the night.

Passing no one on the way to her quarters, Darkflight used the silence to think about what Optimus Prime had said.

"...Both sides will undoubtedly suffer losses."

He spoke the truth. As painful as it was, it was the truth. Energon would be spilled, lives would be lost, and Sparks would be extinguished. Both Decepticons and Autobots would be mourning the dead by the time this was over.

Darkflight entered her room and laid down on the bed, wishing she had always been an Autobot, or at least never been curious about her allegiance... Things probably would be much simpler... So much simpler...

)*(*)*(

Ergh... I hate this chapter. I just do. Minimal plot development, though. Got a little bit... -_- Hurgh...

Reviews welcome, criticism... constructive only, please...?


	6. A Real Shocker

~3 Weeks Later~

"Ahh!"

Darkflight woke to a yell on her comlink and bolted upright. She tried to trace the signal. "Who was that?" There was no answer.

She got up and went into the hallway, just in case the metal in her room was disrupting the radio waves. The comlink didn't reactivate, but Darkflight heard an explosion and followed the sound. Before she realized it, Darkflight was standing outside the door to Wheeljack's workshop. Having an amusingly bad feeling, she stepped inside and her mouth fell open. "Oh, Primus, not again," she said to Wheeljack's form sitting slumped against a wall, covered in soot and blast residue.

"Hi," he said, waving with a sparking arm. It took Darkflight a moment to realize his other arm was missing, along with half a leg.

"That's the third time this week! When are your inventions going to start working?" the female said as she threw her hands up in exasperation.

"It's not my fault."

"Yes, it is."

Wheeljack rolled his optics and used an arm to support himself on the wall as he stood on one leg and said, "Help me find my limbs."

Darkflight sighed and set to searching for the missing body parts. "What were you trying to build this time?"

"Well, I was trying to reinvent my shock blast cannon."

"The one that blew up in your face all those stellar cycles ago?"

"Yeah, I found the blueprints and thought I'd found the problem. See, the module that generated the laser to shoot out of the cannon was missing a component that regulated the flow of electrons to the beam and controlled the size of it. I found the module and started rebuilding the cannon, but I think that it was faulty," Wheeljack said as he hopped around, looking for his leg.

"You have a way with machines, Wheeljack, I'll tell you that. But not in a good way. Oh, here's your arm," Darkflight said, holding up the extremity.

"Good, now all I need is my other leg... There it is," the inventor said, pointing at something on the floor.

"You are so strange sometimes," Darkflight said as she gathered the limbs. "Let me fix you up here; Ratchet will start laughing if I have to take you to the med bay again."

Wheeljack sat on his workbench and stuck out his damaged leg. Darkflight found a welding torch nearby and expertly reattached the limb. "You could replace Ratchet," Wheeljack praised as he bent his leg, checking its functionality.

"No thanks, I wouldn't want to be patching bots like you up 24/7," Darkflight said. "Now for your arm." She put the arm back on and set down the torch. "There. Now please try to be more careful when you're inventing. I don't want to have to do this every other day."

"I can't make any promises," Wheeljack said, his eyes smiling. Darkflight was sure the mouth under the blast mask was grinning too.

"You're insane."

"In a good or bad sense?"

Darkflight crossed her arms and studied the Autobot sitting in front of her. "Hmph. I don't know."

Wheeljack laughed. "I guess it kind of depends on the situation then?"

"I suppose so," Darkflight said as she sat on the bench next to him. "Speaking of old inventions that blew up in your face, have any of your inventions ever worked?"

"Hey, I can make things that work," Wheeljack said in a humorously upset voice. "If you break it down, about half of them don't work or they explode. About three-eighths work, but they do something bad, the Immobilizer for example. The last eighth are the ones that work."

"So either way you look at it, about half of your inventions explode in your face?"

"Exactly," Wheeljack said proudly. "That means I make the other half work, even if they do harm instead of good."

"Sometimes, I think too much optimism like that is a bad thing," Darkflight sighed.

"If I wasn't so optimistic, then I would stop inventing and I would never have a chance to build something that might actually help."

Darkflight looked at the inventor and said, "No matter how many times you build something that doesn't work, you'll always just build something else? Just try again?"

Wheeljack nodded and added, "If you never try, you'll never know."

Darkflight looked down at her feet and thought, _If you never try, you'll never know... You'll never know if he feels the same._

)*(*)*(

I'm sorry, I couldn't resist! I had to keep the feelings ALIVE! Even in a chapter I wrote specifically for comic relief, I just had to throw that in! So, I decided to break the angsty feeling that was overflowing from this story and pour it out with some comedy. Or rather, a failure at comedy. I felt all... gray writing all the angst. Needed a break from it all, and this exploded in a (darkish) rainbow! So yeah, just a short little gift from a tiny little plot bunny. The other ones all died. Please read, review, watch, tell a friend, and keep your stomach full always. *Animal Crossing Movie reference*

Oh, and sorry for the HUGE delay; I couldn't update my stories for some reason. Hrmph. But here is the new chapter! I'll have another thing soon, once I revive my mind.

~TFS


	7. Don't Get Hit BUMPER

An explosion went off, throwing Darkflight several yards and nearly into the water.

"I think an oil tank just blew up!" Ironhide shouted.

"No kidding!" Darkflight ran back to where the battle was taking place. Out of the corner of her optic she saw Skywarp fly up and shoot one of the supports on the oil rig. Darkflight was thrown off of her feet by the resulting jolt that shook the structure.

Megatron and Optimus Prime were locked together in fierce combat. "In a few minutes, you and the rest of your puny Autobots will be sinking to the bottom of the ocean!"

"Not if I can help it!" The Autobot leader jumped back and sent a blast from his rifle straight into Megatron's face.

"Agh! D-Decepticons, RETREAT!" The Decepticons flew into the air, following their injured leader. "I'll be back, Prime! Count on it!" He shot randomly at the cheering Autobots, hitting Prowl in the leg. Megatron laughed evilly as he zoomed away.

Everybody rushed over to the second-in-command; Optimus crouched down and said, "Prowl, do you think you can make it back to base?"

Prowl was silent for a moment, reading his internal scanners for damage reports. "The wound is fixable. It will not severely hamper my ability to travel."

Optimus nodded at this and stood. "Autobots, let's roll back home!"

Autobots rose into the air and away from the smoking oil rig, back to the Ark. From her position, Darkflight looked down and saw a hole straight through Prowl's leg, the clouds below visible through it.

"Wheeljack," Darkflight said through her comlink.

"Yeah?"

"We're on our way back; Prowl's got a hole through the leg. Can you and Ratchet fix it?"

"Do humans breathe oxygen? Prime already told us a few seconds ago."

"Oh. Well, then, that's... good. Darkflight out." Darkflight groaned. How embarrassing. Even though she knew Prime would have radioed base by that time, she still wanted to talk to Wheeljack. It had just sounded like an accidentally repeated damage report to him, though. "Why is it so awkward?" Darkflight muttered.

The party touched down; Ratchet and Wheeljack were outside waiting to take Prowl to the med bay. Darkflight detected carbon life inside the base and identified it as Spike and Sparkplug Witwicky, the Autobots' human allies.

"Hey, Darkflight," they greeted as the femme walked in.

"Hello," Darkflight said with a little wave.

"Oh, I just remembered something. Here," Sparkplug said, handing something to Darkflight.

It was a cube with different sides that twisted and turned, made up of smaller cubes with different colors.

"It's a Rubik's cube. Humans like to solve them for fun. I saw one and made a bigger one for you to try," Sparkplug explained. Darkflight sat on the floor and tried twisting the different layers and lining them up; scrambling and solving it over and over.

"Humans solve this... for fun? But it's so simple. You just need the proper pattern and it's easy." She scrambled it and solved it in 30 seconds to demonstrate her theory.

"Yes, but you forget," Spike said, "that Autobots' processors are very complex and highly superior to the brains of humans. I could never solve one of those. Especially not in 6 seconds!"

"6 seconds?" Darkflight asked, her curiosity aroused.

"Yeah. There are all kinds of competitions where people try to solve those as quickly as possible. Underwater, blindfolded, one-handedly, you name it."

"I see. So this is for me?" Darkflight asked.

"All yours," Sparkplug assured. "I made sure it can hold up to about ten tons of pressure, so you can show the other Autobots and use it for ages."

"Thank you. I appreciate it," Darkflight said, twisting the cube in her hands so fast it was a blur.

Sideswipe and Sunstreaker drove in at a breakneck speed, stopping just inches short of the Witwickys.

"Stop showing off," Darkflight grumbled.

"We're not showing off," Sunstreaker said as he and his brother transformed.

"Just practicing our gift," Sideswipe added. "Whatcha got there?"

"It something humans call a 'Rubik's Cube.' Right, Sparkplug?" The human nodded. "Wanna try?"

"What do you... do with it?" Sideswipe asked, turning the layers in confusion.

"Apparently, you have to make it so that the sides are all the same color," Darkflight said.

Sunstreaker snatched the cube away from his twin and solved it in a snap. "Like this?" he asked as he held the cube up.

"Just like that," Darkflight said, taking the cube back. "Now I've got to go see to Prowl's repairs. As she got up and walked away, the twins snickered. Darkflight drew her weapon and shot it behind her, narrowly missing the top Sideswipe's head. "Next time, you're gonna get hit."

)*(*)*(

Wahh! I'm sorry it's so terrible! I just needed a little bumper; my brain is dead tired right now... But I am working on the next chapter and it WILL be one that's actually good! So be waiting! Read, tell a friend, review, ANONYMOUSLY review, fave...


	8. Mission Gone Wrong

Darkflight traveled across the base and walked into the med bay to find Wheeljack. Instead, she found the room in shambles, Ratchet knocked out, and a hole in the roof the size of an SUV.

"Ratchet!" Darkflight ran to the bot and gave his processor a gentle shock. His optics came back online and he looked around frantically. He didn't find whatever he searched for and saw Darkflight.

"Darkflight! They— I couldn't— He's gone! They took— And then— We tried— They got— " Ratchet couldn't get a coherent sentence out. He continued to babble until Darkflight grabbed him by the shoulders.

"RATCHET! What happened here? Where are Prowl and Wheeljack?" Darkflight shook the medic by the shoulders.

"Decepticons! The Seekers, along with Dirge, and Thrust! They crashed in here and attacked us! We had already sent Prowl back because we'd repaired his leg, but they took Wheeljack!" Ratchet said all this so quickly that Darkflight had to slow it down and replay it to herself. When she understood, she released Ratchet and fell back onto her knees.

This wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening. Impossible. They would've heard or detected... No. The med bay had special metal that blocked energy signals inside its walls. She had been across the base. Darkflight made a grave decision.

"If Optimus asks for me, tell him I'll be back. Probably." She rose and flew out of the gaping hole of twisted metal in the ceiling.

The setting sun turned the sky a fiery orange, casting long shadows and cooling the land. Darkflight knew where the base was. She knew where they'd be holding him. She knew his fate. _I'm going to change that fate,_ she thought fiercely. _I'll make it so no bot has to suffer a death like Outback's ever again._

Darkflight flew until the full moon rose into a cloudless sky and shone its light on the ocean. Reflections of the moonbeams sparkled into the night. The perfection of it all drove Darkflight to fly faster; it was like poisoned honey, as Spike had once put it.

At last, she reached the spot of water underneath which the Decepticon base resided. Darkflight descended and was careful to avoid the range of any security measures the Decepticons had placed. She knew their locations all too well. After a short while, she found an entrance and wormed her way into the base, making sure not a drop of water leaked, even from herself.

Darkflight activated her radar and scanned the whole base for an Autobot energy signature. "They know better," she muttered when she couldn't pick one up. Instead, the recon agent made her way down to the holding units. She wasn't proud of the fact that the base was familiar territory.

Soon, Darkflight could hear the faint buzzing of the laser bars that kept captives in their cells. Peeking cautiously around a corner to check for patrols, she found none. _Stupid 'Cons._

Still, she dimmed the lights in her optics and crouched slightly to reduce the chances of her being seen. Darkflight stalked silently down the row of empty cells toward the only one with red lasers up in front of it. "Wheeljack?" she whispered softly to the being sitting inside the prison.

The bot looked up and its optics brightened. "Darkflight? Is that you?"

Darkflight stealthily approached the bars and nodded. "Ratchet told me what happened. I've come to rescue you."

"Good," Wheeljack said. "I hate this place."

Darkflight looked up at the cell number and flipped open the cover on the keypad by the chamber. She began to punch in the access code when a high-voltage shock went through her system and she fell to the metal floor with a metallic thud.

"That's for our last fight."

)*(*)*(

Darkflight came back to her senses with a mighty ache in her processor and slowly lifted her upper chassis off the floor. "Urgh... Where..." She remembered in an instant and buried her face in her hands. How could she had been so stupid? "Stay alert at all times," she said softly, repeating Outback's favorite thing to say. Returning her focus to the current situation, she looked around to check her surroundings. She was alone in the cell, or was that...

"Wheeljack?" Darkflight said to the inventor lying facedown on the floor. He didn't respond, and she repeated, "Wheeljack, you awake?"

"Yeah," came the reply as Wheeljack crossed his legs and sat up. "How are you feeling?"

"All right, other than the fact that my head hurts. What was that shock?"

"You're not going to like the answer," Wheeljack warned. He could see that Darkflight didn't care, and murmured, "Thundercracker."

Darkflight sighed. Of course. "But what was Thundercracker doing patrolling the base that late? I didn't see him at first."

Wheeljack thought about this. "He could've picked up your energy signature. Did you know that only Decepticon scanners can detect energy signatures through these walls?"

"How'd you find that out?" This feature had not been present back when Darkflight...

"When I first got here, Starscream could pick up Soundwave's energy signature on the next floor, but I couldn't get a thing. Interesting..."

Darkflight took advantage of the opening; Wheeljack could get lost in thought thinking about how he could use the same type of technology in their base. "How do you propose we get out of here?"

Wheeljack looked solemnly at Darkflight and seemed to brace himself for a reaction. "We don't. We'll have to wait for someone to save us. There's no way out of here."

Darkflight sat up on a bench that jutted out of the wall. "Well, that's just great. The rescuer and rescuee now need rescuing. How ironic." She took the Rubik's cube from the storage chamber in her abdomen and fiddled with it for a while.

"What is that?" Wheeljack asked after watching her for a few minutes.

"Humans call it a Rubik's Cube. They solve it for a mental challenge." Darkflight held the puzzle out to the scientist.

Wheeljack took the cube and examined it. "A mental challenge? But it's so— "

"Simple? Yes, but remember that the minds of humans are far simpler than ours." Wheeljack disassembled the cube and checked out how it worked. He put it back together again and handed it back, shaking his head. "Humans are so strange."

Darkflight agreed. "It's so easy. All you need is— "

"The right strategy," they said together. An odd look was exchanged between them and quickly extinguished, replaced by an awkward silence that lasted for longer than they could count.

)*(*)*(

This is the kind of thing my brain comes up with while listening to "Requiem for a Dream" on loop. By the way, I threw in a Rubik's Cube because I was fiddling with mine while writing the bumper. Oh, inspiration is a strange thing...


	9. Execution Time

Something would turn up. Something had to turn up. Optimus Prime paced in his office, speculations and theories on his mind. Where had she gone? Was it possible that...

"No, of course not. But where..." Optimus thought aloud. Ratchet had said she'd be back. Or she "probably" would. Well, she wasn't. The Decepticons had taken Wheeljack. Had she gone to liberate him? If she had, she would've returned by now. Perhaps she'd just gone AWOL. No, that wasn't like her. She couldn't have been captured, could she?

"Where in the world could she have gone?"

)*(*)*(

Darkflight sat in the cell, staring at the wall. She placed her hand on it and got readings on the material.

_What?, _she thought. _That can't be right. _Several more tries, however, confirmed that the metal was... unidentifiable. However... "Wheeljack, look."

The scientist came over. "What is it?"

"Take a look at this alloy. The one the walls are made out of."

Wheeljack did, and said, "Amazing! This metal is all-new!"

"Not just that. It's 5,000 times stronger than Cybertonium." Wheeljack didn't understand. "It means we're not digging our way out," she said, scooting to sit against an adjacent wall.

"We could just wait for rescue. Meanwhile, I'm gonna take some more readings. Maybe we can duplicate this stuff for our own base."

Darkflight shook her head. "I just don't get you sometimes."

Wheeljack finished his work after a while. "Darkflight, what do you think they're going to do with us?" he inquired, breaking a long silence.

Darkflight looked over at the inventor, who was still facing the wall. "I'm not sure."

"Are you sure you're not sure? Or are you just trying to deny any harsh truths?" Wheeljack asked quietly. "I just want to know what they plan to do."

Darkflight knew exactly what was going to happen to them. "Well," she sighed, "since I'm considered a traitor, I'm headed for execution, without a doubt. You're the Autobots' 'brilliant inventor', so they'll probably either kill you, hold you for ransom, or force you to work for them. Let's face the facts: since you usually make stuff that doesn't work, they'll most likely kill you or ransom you, depending on what mood Megatron's in."

Wheeljack was quiet for a few minutes, in which he moved over to where Darkflight sat and said, "That's pretty bad. For you, at least. I have a 50/50 chance of surviving, but yours are pretty much nil."

"If we could think of a way to get out of here, our chances would be pretty high, wouldn't you say? But there's no way out..." Darkflight laid down and put her head on Wheeljack's leg. She didn't care if it was strange, she just wanted to lean up against somebody. Being on this side of the bars gave her the feeling of helplessness and realized how many bots had been through these... They must've felt the same way. Darkflight groaned inwardly; how terrible a bot she was.

)*(*)*(

Wheeljack overcame the momentary feeling of slight shock he'd experienced and gently placed a hand on Darkflight's head. How odd this was, he felt an emotion that was all-new. It was most peculiar. It seemed like his senses were muted, but sharpened at the same time. He was barely aware of the world around them, yet could see it all. What was this?

The inventor absentmindedly stroked the head of the femme in his lap. Most peculiar... After what seemed like forever, Wheeljack was aware of the fact that Darkflight had gone into a deep recharge. Well, if they were going to try to escape, he'd need all the energy he could get. Wheeljack leaned his head back against the wall and went into recharge, too.

)*(*)*(

"Optimus!" Jazz called.

The tone of the Autobot's voice was urgent; the leader rushed to Teletraan 1 and saw the twins and Hound looking at Megatron on the screen. "Megatron!" Optimus growled.

"Prime," Megatron laughed, "are you looking for some troops of yours?"

Optimus's mind clicked into place. "Do you have any?" the Autobot asked calmly.

Megatron chuckled. "Well, we had capture your scientist, but the other walked straight into our hands!" The Decepticon leader cackled evilly.

"I told you they had them," Sunstreaker claimed.

"No, you didn't," Hound said.

"You calling my brother a liar?" Sideswipe accused.

"No, I just-" The twins tackled Hound and the three fought while Optimus said, "Megatron, give them back."

"Haha! No chance. We plan to execute them shortly."

Optimus slammed his fist down on Teletraan's interface, making Megatron disappear, and said, "Jazz, assemble a raiding party. We're going to rescue them."

)*(*)*(

Darkflight awoke from her recharge and, out of habit, stayed still to examine her surroundings. She felt her head was raised above the floor and remembered going into recharge on... Wheeljack!

Bolting up, Darkflight saw Wheeljack's optics widen in surprise and quickly said, "Wheeljack-I'm-so-sorry-I-didn't-mean-to-fall-asleep-on-you!" Flustered, she ran to the corner and sat there, hugging her knees to her chest. What had she been thinking?

Sensing that Wheeljack was still looking at her, Darkflight didn't turn around. She didn't turn around until Wheeljack shouted, "Darkflight, help!"

She jumped to her feet and saw Skywarp dragging Wheeljack away. Execution time. "No!" Darkflight ran at the purple Seeker and pulled her gun. He was faster. Darkflight received a shot to the shoulder, and, while it didn't hurt much, it slowed her down. It slowed her down enough to give Skywarp time to take Wheeljack out and put the bars back up.

"Darkflight!" Wheeljack yelled vainly, reaching an arm out as though to grab her. "Help me!"

"Wheeljack, no!" Darkflight screamed as Skywarp ran off. She knew she couldn't shoot; that would risk hitting him. "Noo!"

Skywarp rounded a corner and was gone. Darkflight backed up hard against the wall and slid down to the floor in defeat. Skywarp was gone, Wheeljack was going to be... Darkflight held her face in her hands and shook her head endlessly. She'd sworn nobody would ever suffer like Outback had. She'd broken that vow, and now Wheeljack would pay the price.

)*(*)*(

Mwahahahahaa! I'm the author and the suspense is killing me! Can you guess what the emotion is? *HINT: It's NOT love!* Have fun!


	10. Escape

Wheeljack frantically squirmed to get out of Skywarp's grip. Execution? No, no, no! Struggling did nothing, however, and Skywarp was grabbing Wheeljack's arms, keeping him from transforming. Skywarp approached the room Wheeljack had seen hundreds of times before on simulations: the execution chamber.

The Seeker roughly tossed Wheeljack inside and laughed nastily before the door slid shut. Wheeljack ran to the door and tried to pry it open to no avail. Was it possible that only yesterday he'd been casually chatting with Ratchet while repairing the hole in Prowl's leg? It seemed like a million stellar cycles ago.

A raspy chuckle came from the corner, and Megatron stepped forward. "Well, well, if it isn't the Autobots' brilliant inventor. I'm going to enjoy this," the leader said, his fusion cannon at the ready. Wheeljack backed up against a wall and covered his face with his arms, not ready to die.

Just as Megatron fired, a streak of red and blue hit him, making the laser hit the wall right above Wheeljack's head and fall to the ground. Wheeljack peered through a gap between his two arms and saw Optimus Prime walking towards him.

"Wheeljack, are you all right?"

"A little dusty," Wheeljack said, brushing metal debris off his shoulder, "but alive and functioning."

Hound, Prowl, Bumblebee, and Brawn appeared, swiftly taking in the hole in the wall above Wheeljack's head, Megatron on the floor, and Optimus standing before them. "Is everything all right?" Bumblebee asked.

Optimus nodded. "Yes. We just need to get Darkflight, then we can leave. Wheeljack, do you know—"

Megatron pulled himself up slightly and yelled over his comlink, "Decepticons! To me!"

)*(*)*(

Darkflight heard Megatron's fusion cannon fire. _That's it, _she thought mournfully._ He's gone now._ She stood to face the metal behind her and began pounding on the wall in silence. She couldn't bring herself to start screaming; the emotional pain seemed to short out her vocal components.

Darkflight gave up after some time and resorted to merely hitting her head on the wall. Her mind began to slip, thinking of memories from long ago of Outback and Wheeljack, but she snapped back to reality when the sound of sonic jets reached her audio receptors. Whipping around, Darkflight saw the back end of Ramjet's vehicle mode speed by, followed by Dirge, Thrust, the Seekers, and a running Soundwave. What was going on?

The sound of a car engine grew slowly louder afterwards, and Darkflight yelled for help, trying to catch the attention of whoever it was. Tracks transformed in front of the cell and said, "Darkflight? What in the... What are you doing here?"

"There's no time to explain! Get me out of here, quick!" Tracks entered the passcode Darkflight gave him and the bars disappeared. "Thanks. Now what's going on?" Darkflight asked.

"Well, Optimus has brought a few other Autobots along to rescue Wheeljack," Tracks explained to Darkflight as they ran towards the execution room.

"They're too late," she murmured darkly.

"Hm? What was that, Darkflight?"

"Nothing," said Darkflight quickly. Tracks didn't need to know; he'd see soon enough. The halls were more familiar now. She'd walked through these that night when Outback had died. Darkflight heard the sound of laser fire and shouts increasing in volume as they neared the execution room.

They arrived to see the door torn down and a smoldering hole in the wall a little above head height. Inside, Optimus and some others were fighting against Megatron, the Seekers, Dirge, Ramjet, and Thrust. Darkflight less-than-eagerly joined in the fray. At least this was something to take her mind off of the deeds that had gone on in this room.

Looking around for Wheeljack's body so she could at least keep it from harm, Darkflight was astonished to see it alive and fighting Ramjet. She tore away from her battle with Skywarp and jumped to Wheeljack's side.

"So you're alive," she said casually, ducking a blast from Ramjet's weapon.

"So I am," Wheeljack replied in the same tone.

"What miracle saved you this time?"

"Oh, just Optimus tackling Megatron. His aim was off, as you can see." Wheeljack nodded his head in the direction of the hole in the wall.

"Hm. Wish I could've seen that."

The two didn't need assistance. On their own, they defeated Ramjet, Soundwave, and the Cassetticons. The rubble that would've been called the execution chamber less than a megacycle ago was now littered with twisted pieces of metal, unconscious Decepticons, and bits of flaming wreckage.

"Are you two all right?" Optimus Prime asked.

"Yes sir. Just a few dents and scratches. Nothing Ratchet can't fix," Darkflight said.

"Good. Autobots, let's roll back home. All of us."

The Autobots, led by Darkflight, made it to the entrance of the Decepticon base. She raised the tower and they flew away, back to the Ark.

How good it felt to be flying again, even if she wasn't particularly fond of the air. Darkflight tried to imagine what it would be like to be flying as a jet like Starscream or Thundercracker. Soaring over the ocean at supersonic speeds, leaving sonic booms and astonished people in their wake. How great it would feel... If she liked flying all the time.

After a while, they touched down at the Ark and everyone staggered inside, weary from their mission and some in need of repair. Ratchet was in the large doorway.

"You made it back! Er, look at all these repairs I have to do. It's always repairs, repairs, repairs," the medic grumbled, trying to recover.

"Yeah, we're back," Wheeljack said. "Thundercracker used a taser gun to shock Darkflight, and she got captured..." The two scientists walked back to the base, Wheeljack talking about their ordeal in the Decepticon base while Ratchet listened intently. Darkflight could only hope that Wheeljack wouldn't say anything about her sleeping on him as she trudged to the recharging chambers for a good, deep recharge.

)*(*)*(

Huzzah! I have finally finished! Now I have to work on another thing. I've got some awesome ideas for what's going to happen a lot later; the problem is figuring out how to fit in here...


	11. Recount

_Hisssss! _The clear door on top of the recharging chamber opened, and Darkflight stepped out. Well, that was refreshing. It hadn't been more than three hours since she and Wheeljack had returned to base, though it felt much longer. It was very early in the morning, but Darkflight's nap left her feeling energetic and not needy of more rest.

Unsure of what to do—and honestly not wanting to really do anything—Darkflight located a nearby medical berth and sat on it, her legs hanging and swinging over the edge. The quiet gave her time to reflect on how different everything was from the night Outback died.

That night, that terrible night, she hadn't felt unhappy at first. It hadn't seemed real. Once Ratchet had taken the body, though, the full force had hit her. She'd been grieving, Wheeljack had attempted to cheer her up, but it was Jazz was the real help. He'd taken her for a night on the town and refilled her with love for life. The nighttime memories had stopped plaguing her, and it became a bit easier to talk to Wheeljack. How had Jazz done that? He must be a... what did humans call it? A wizen? No, it was wizard. Yes, that was the word.

Darkflight was so consumed with her thoughts, she didn't notice Wheeljack walk in. She jumped when he said, "Had a nice recharge?"

"Oh, yes, thank you for asking," Darkflight said. She'd been caught off guard again. "Yeah, it was great. No memories or anything." What was she saying?

Wheeljack sat next to her, just like that first night, when he'd told her everything would be okay. He was right. "It's good that they're not bothering your sleep anymore."

Darkflight nodded and looked at Wheeljack. Should she...? Was it too risky? Of course it was dangerous, but what could it really do? With a blink, Darkflight made a decision. "Did I ever tell you... why I..." She almost didn't go on, but shook her head just slightly and finished her sentence. "Why I left the Decepticons?"

)*(*)*(

Wheeljack didn't want her to tell him, but at the same time, felt he needed to hear. "...No, I don't believe you did." And so, Darkflight began her story.

"It was stellar cycles ago, one or two after we landed here. I was scouting with Thundercracker and Soundwave and an Autobot patrol passed by. I later found out it was Prowl, Hound, and... you." Darkflight constantly switched between looking up at Wheeljack and down at her lap. She was obviously extremely uncomfortable with this.

"Well, we opened fire, you returned, the usual. But something happened, I don't know what, something just did. I saw you right before my finger pulled the trigger. I swung my gun over and shot Soundwave right in the face.

"He went down, Thundercracker realized it within the nanosecond. He stopped shooting, and you guys escaped. Thundercracker got Soundwave and we returned to base."

Wheeljack waited as she hung her head and quieted.

)*(*)*(

Darkflight momentarily turned her optics off and let the sounds play in her mind as if they had been heard yesterday. The sound of her motor, Thundercracker flying overhead. The clank of metal on metal as they walked in. Shouts, guns firing off, all aimed at one target. Darkflight hesitated before continuing.

"Thundercracker didn't like me anyway, so he despised me now. I tried to explain, to lie, say it was just an accident. Thundercracker said otherwise. Megatron and all the others chased me out, almost killed me. I was almost offline when I found Outback on guard outside and he took me in."

Wheeljack didn't say anything, again waiting to see if she was finished. When he figured she was, he said, "So that's why Thundercracker's got it out for you."

Nodding, Darkflight said, "Yeah. They may not look it, but Thundercracker and Soundwave are good friends. He blew a fuse when I shot Soundwave."

Wheeljack said, "I think I actually remember that. We were on patrol when three Decepticons started shooting at us. One of them suddenly went down, and they booked it. That must've been you."

So he remembered. Wheeljack recalled that night, even if he hadn't known who she was. "Wheeljack, there's something I have to..." Words wouldn't be able to describe it. "Lower your mask," Darkflight said quietly, so quietly, she could barely hear herself.

Wheeljack was puzzled, but he lowered the mask, and Darkflight looked at him. His mouth was scarred from many explosions and blasts; you could tell he was an inventor. Darkflight didn't focus on this, however. She let her chassis fall forward as her lips met with Wheeljack's.

There seemed to be a dull sound of explosions ringing faintly in her audio receptors. Was it possible that Autobot emotions were more sensitive than those of humans? _Too technical. Enjoy it._

Wheeljack didn't resist, but he didn't embrace it. He had been caught by surprise. Darkflight pulled away, and Wheeljack looked at her. He didn't want to break her Spark, but... "...This is wrong."

Darkflight almost passed out. This wasn't... No. It absolutely wasn't going to happen. In a blink of an eye, Darkflight pulled her pistol and aimed at Wheeljack. If she couldn't have him...

Wheeljack covered his face in his hands and put the mask back up. Uh-oh. He heard the weapon whine shrilly as it charged, he squinted his optics out of reflex.

A microsecond before the gun fired, Darkflight dropped it. It shot and the beam hit the opposite wall before the weapon clinked against the metal floor. What was she doing? Wheeljack was right. This... This wasn't.

Darkflight ran. She didn't care where. She ran past Wheeljack, out of the med bay, through the Ark, into the early morning air. In the fall, the first fingers of pink dawn streaked through the sky, which was a light lavender. No time to stare. Darkflight transformed and floored it, heading off as far as possible from the place she used to call home.

A red Autobot insignia floated gently to the ground.

)*(*)*(

Before I say anything else, I AM SORRY. Izvinyayus, lo siento, gomen. I am SO SORRY. I was writing, and it looked good, but I reviewed it and almost smashed my computer. Unfortunately, I can't think of anyway to improve. Again, sorry for this and my delay in writing. I was on a trip, there was NO WIFI, no LAPTOPS. *sadness* But I'm back and probably will update my other two tomorrow. Heehee, I'm working on a secret project! Also, review. PLEASE. I need to know: happy ending or sad ending? Or just plain weird? ANONYMOUS REVIEWS ACCEPTED AND WELCOME!


	12. Good for Nothing

The world seemed to be spinning around, making him nauseous. That is, if robots can even get nausea.

What had just happened? The memory came back and Wheeljack shook his head. No, that hadn't happened, not at all.

If it hadn't happened, then where was Darkflight? Why was there a blast mark on the wall in line with Darkflight's weapon? And why did Wheeljack feel so confused?

His mind was reeling. This hadn't just happened. Yes, it had. It was completely unfathomable, impossible, not in a million stellar cycles. There's overwhelming evidence right here; it happened, you cannot deny that.

What was he to do next? Tell Prime or Ratchet or somebody? Or go after her by himself? No, that was a terrible idea; they'd both get captured. Again.

Deciding not to decide on anything, Wheeljack just walked out of the med bay and came upon Sunstreaker and Sideswipe painting a giant picture of Optimus Prime in a bunny suit on the wall. At the sound of Wheeljack walking toward them, however, they hid their paintbrushes behind them.

"Hey, Wheeljack, what's up?" Sunstreaker asked casually.

"Oh, this?" Sideswipe said when Wheeljack stared at the portrait on the wall. "It's just, uh... We... found it like that."

"You know what? Whatever. Okay, I need you guys' help. Darkflight isn't in the base. I don't know where she is," Wheeljack said, trying not to lie.

The twins exchanged a glance. "Ooh, did she go off by herself to look for a lovey-dovey spot?" Sideswipe teased.

"Heh, maybe she was gonna call you out there so you two could—" Wheeljack was in Sunstreaker's face in an instant.

"Okay, Sunstreaker, I'm gonna lay this out straight. Darkflight's missing. Perhaps she's already been found by Decepticons and being tortured. Meanwhile, the two of you are drawing stuff on the wall that Ratchet is gonna have you wash off anyway. I, on the other hand, am going out to search for my fellow Autobot, my friend. Nothing more. We are NOT in a relationship, no matter what anyone says."

Sunstreaker stared at him. "All right, we get it. Watch the paint," he grumbled, pushing Wheeljack away.

"Okay, we'll help. How can we, though, if Darkflight's out Primus-knows-where?" Sideswipe asked, slightly miffed that Wheeljack had a point about Ratchet making them wash the picture off.

"You can start by telling Prime that I've already left." With that, Wheeljack transformed and sped off in the opposite direction to find Darkflight.

)*(*)*(

Morning dew clung to everything: spider webs, leaves, branches, the grass, flowers. It kept the mud spattered on Darkflight's undercarriage from drying out. Not that it mattered, really. As long as it didn't slow her down.

Anywhere on Earth— anywhere in the universe, for that matter— would have to be better than being at the Ark right now. She'd never go back there. Not even if Outback was standing out front waiting for her.

The forest wasn't very dense, thankfully, and Darkflight navigated with relative ease. She was still irritated, however, by the noise her engine made. Try as she might to conceal her energy signature, the motorcycle engine roared like a large feline from one of those countries on the other side of the globe. It was something she would have to deal with, though. Not like walking would be any better. She'd be smacking into trees left and right.

After a few more hours, a brief reprieve from the forest ended, and the undergrowth was getting thicker. Darkflight scoped out a large tree. Even after recharging for a few megacycles, she couldn't risk her parts overheating. As she transformed, she felt mud and dirt rub onto her internal circuitry. _That's going to be hard to clean up_, she thought, groaning in her mind.

Leaning up against the tree, Darkflight leaned her head back and let her circuits cool. She remained alert, setting her subconscious on a watch setting, but eventually succumbed to the peace and quiet.

A rustle in the leaves woke her. It was much too sudden, too loud to be from wind. Instinctively, she reached for her null ray, but then she remembered: it was still in the Ark. "Scrap," she muttered as several Insecticons dropped from the treetops.

Three of them transformed. "Well, what do we have here, here?" Shrapnel said with a hint of amusement.

"You have a femme who would very much enjoy kicking your skid plates," said Darkflight coolly, hoping they wouldn't notice she was unarmed.

"Ooh, a feisty one." Bombshell rubbed his hands together. "Why don't I just put a cerebro-shell on her right now?"

"Wait, Bombshell," Kickback said, placing a hand in front of the cannon on his friend's forehead. "Shrapnel, do you see who this is? It's the traitor Megatron spoke of! Remember the bounty?"

Shrapnel appraised Darkflight for a few moments, then said, "You're right, right. And I think it would please poor Starscream for us to bring her in for him, him. Insecticon clones, grab the traitor, traitor!"

The clones swarmed around Darkflight; she had no chance without a weapon. She tried her best to fight off the attack, but to no avail. Soon, her hands were bound behind her back and she was being held up by three certain Insecticons on their way to the Decepticon base. Shrapnel chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny, Insecticon?" Darkflight asked spitefully.

"I realized just now that you have no faction, faction. You are neither Autobot nor Decepticon, 'con," the Insecticon leader said gleefully. "Perhaps now you will join our cause, cause."

Bombshell spoke up. "We could just plant a cerebro-shell on her, you know."

Kickback scoffed. "What's the fun in that? You want her to put up a fight." It was silent the rest of the way.

Darkflight didn't have time to steady herself before landing; her momentum and the fact that she was low to the ground made her tumble until she came to a stop in front of Megatron. Right on her face, no less. The shame.

The Decepticon leader grinned wickedly. "Good work, Insecticons. Your reward is over there." He gestured to a small pile of energon cubes on the floor a few yards away.

"That's it?" Bombshell asked, bemused. "I thought we were getting more! If this is it, then that means each of us only gets"—he counted slowly on his fingers—"three!"

"No, you dolt," Starscream said. "You get two each."

The Insecticons begrudgingly took their reward and left, leaving Megatron, Starscream, and Darkflight in the room.

"You're back, I see," Megatron said. "And this time, with no Autobot signal to discern you from our insufferable enemies."

Starscream snickered. "I bet they didn't want her on their side anymore, Megatron. She is, after all, a filthy traitor."

Megatron began walking around Darkflight. "Did they abandon you? Leave you out to die? Face it. See the cold, hard truth. You're good for _nothing_." Megatron had leaned close to Darkflight's audio receptor and whispered the last word.

As he had been talking, Darkflight had worked up a mouthful of oil. Now, she spat it full in Megatron's face.

He backhanded her and wiped the residue off his faceplate. "Starscream, get this traitor out of my sight!"

"Yes, O Mighty Megatron," said Starscream sarcastically. He pulled Darkflight up and began to push her to get her going. He took his hands away when she snapped at him.

A few cycles later, Darkflight was back in her old cell, only this time, nobody was there with her and her hands were bound.

She scooted back to the corner and blew air out her vents. What now? The Autobots were surely not coming to rescue her; she'd tried to kill one of them. Did they consider her a Decepticon now? Most likely.

Being a Decepticon would mean they really didn't want her. Starscream was right: she was a traitor. To both sides. She had no place.

She was good for nothing.

)*(*)*(

Wow, this is dark. My mind is just messed up right now. All right, I'm thinking this will go on for another chapter or two, MAYBE three if I get a sudden burst of inspiration. Though that's unlikely. Anyway, I still can't decide between a happy or sad ending! Maybe I'll put a poll up on my page. Check it every day, just in case I decided to make one. ;) Now I've updated every one! Yay! *starts on another chapter*  
Oh, and don't forget to review and fave, and stuff, okay, guys? Don't let me down!


	13. What Goes Around, Comes Around

Night had fallen long before Wheeljack returned to base, frustrated and in great need of a recharge. Optimus Prime stood before Teletraan 1.

"Any luck?" asked the leader.

Wheeljack shook his head wearily. "No. I just don't get it. Where would she go?"

His superior looked at Teletraan 1's screen, which displayed the locations of the several small search parties he'd sent out earlier. "I have a hunch, but until Megatron breaks radio silence, it cannot be proven."

"What would Megatron want with Darkflight?" Wheeljack asked.

"Perhaps he wants merely to execute her in private. They seem to have a score yet to be settled. No matter the cost, we must find her. She's an essential part of this team. It did her no good to run off." Prime sighed. "Her actions were indeed impulsive, but they gave her no reason to leave." Optimus had radioed Wheeljack after the twins had come to him and spoke of the search mission the inventor had begun on his own. As of now, Wheeljack had confided only in Prime as to why Darkflight had fled the Ark.

Wheeljack turned to the entrance. "I'm going out to keep looking." He stepped forward to transform but stumbled and had to steady himself on Teletraan's interface. With a scowl under his mask, he brushed Optimus's hand off his shoulder. "I'm all right. Just a little tired."

Prime spun the scientist around. "Wheeljack, we have plenty of others out looking for her. I'm sure they'll find something. And keep in mind that if Megatron has taken her prisoner, we certainly cannot raid the base to rescue her. She has no value to Megatron, and he would kill her on the spot."

He had a point. Wheeljack proceeded toward his workshop. He'd build something to locate Darkflight. Maybe it could remotely control Megatron's mind. Almost like a cerebro-shell.

The dust cleared and Ratchet stood in the doorway. "What are you destroying this time?"

Wheeljack sat against the wall, optics wide and front covered in black. "It... wasn't supposed to do that. But Ratchet, I'm fine. See?" He stood up and said, "It just blew up. I am okay."

Ratchet rolled his optics. "If you get into any real trouble, call me." He walked away, and Wheeljack picked up a little gadget on the floor. It sparked and smoked. _Scrap_, thought Wheeljack.

He set to work.

)*(*)*(

Megatron tapped his fingers on his chair impatiently. Where was Starscream? He opened his mouth to call for the second in command when, as if on cue, the Seeker entered.

"Mighty Megatron, the prisoner is ready for execution." Starscream sounded less than thrilled.

"Perfect."

)*(*)*(

She didn't put up a fight when Thundercracker came to retrieve her. Darkflight morosely offered her wrists to be bound and allowed the blue Seeker to forcefully lead her to the execution room.

"Looks like you fixed it up pretty fast," she murmured.

Thundercracker nodded proudly. "We all helped, but I did the most work."

The door closed. Darkflight sat against the wall. She'd been in here a couple days ago. Then, she'd been fighting, because Wheeljack had been set for execution. This time, she was going to die, and nobody would save her. How had Outback felt when he died? Darkflight pondered. She'd set this upon herself, running away like she had. Outback's death was part of a mission. He had to do it.

Again, the purple door slid to the side, and Megatron was in the room with her. "Up," he snarled. Darkflight did so, keeping her eyes trained on the floor. "You don't even put up a fight?" Megatron sounded amused.

"I have no other option," Darkflight said quietly. "It's not as if I have any chance of surviving."

Megatron laughed. "Well, it's a nice change of pace to have a victim who doesn't grovel at my feet begging for mercy or just stands there with their hands up. Though your filthy Autobot accomplice, what was it... Outback. Yes, he was on his knees begging me to spare him. It was most amusing."

Darkflight's optics brightened. Her neck snapped up. "What?"

"Oh yes," Megatron said, examining his fusion cannon. "He kept pleading right up until he died. So entertaining. I wish I could've kept him around."

Enraged, Darkflight ran at her former leader. She didn't reach her target. A blast to her abdomen, and she fell. "You don't," she groaned from the floor, "talk about my friend like that."

Again, Megatron sniggered. "You aren't in much position to be ordering me around, femme." He got ready to fire again, but stiffened for a moment. Darkflight looked up and saw into the barrel of the weapon, where a purple light grew hot and bright.

)*(*)*(

"No."

"Optimus, I promise this ain't gonna mess up Teletraan. I tested it on myself." Wheeljack held out a small metal contraption in his hand. It was covered in dials and switches and buttons.

Optimus Prime looked at it. "What is it supposed to do?"

Wheeljack pulled a cord out of the device and said, "You'll see." He plugged it in and fiddled with several of the controls on the thing. After several moments of static, the Autobots standing near Teletraan 1 saw a fuzzy image of Darkflight on the screen. Wheeljack slowly turned a gear until the picture focused. Then, he began inputting codes with Teletraan's giant keyboard.

Hound approached Wheeljack and said, "What are you doing?" Wheeljack just waved him away. However, as he typed, his head fins lit up. "What you're seeing here is exactly what Megatron sees. I'm trying to control his mind and actions." There were several gasps around the room.

Megatron stared up at the wall and seemed to straighten for a moment as Wheeljack took control and directed the Decepticon's gaze downward. Darkflight was looking into the fusion cannon and waiting for Megatron to fire. Wheeljack aimed it slightly higher. It went centimeters over her head.

"Darkflight, can you hear me?" Wheeljack spoke into his mind control machine. Megatron said the words.

She scrambled backwards and against the wall. There was a wound on her side; wires and damaged machinery was visible. "Have you gone insane?" she said, confused. The Autobots could hear her trying to keep her voice steady.

Megatron shook his head violently; Wheeljack adjusted another dial on his invention, and it stopped. "It's Wheeljack. I took control of Megatron's mind."

Darkflight's optics widened. "You mean something of yours actually worked for once?"

"Yes," Wheeljack said as the Autobots around him laughed. "Yes it did. Okay, here's what you've got to do to escape. There's a—"

"I can't."

"What?"

"I'm not trying to escape."

"What are you talking about?" In response, Wheeljack lost control of Megatron, though they still saw and heard what he did. "There's a jamming frequency!" Wheeljack said. "I've lost control!"

Darkflight knelt before Megatron. "My liege, the secret mission is complete."

Megatron nodded and said, "What information have you gathered?"

"Plenty, Mighty Megatron." Darkflight proceeded to tell Megatron several important features and secrets about the Autobot base and its security.

Everyone in the Ark watched, mouths open. Optimus narrowed his optics and said, "We never should have trusted a Decepticon." Cliffjumper growled, "That dirty double-crosser!" Wheeljack was silent.

Darkflight finished and looked up. "Autobots, now you see what I truly am. All of you shall perish, and sooner than you think." There was a burst of static, and Wheeljack's invention exploded.

"Not again!"

)*(*)*(

"Master, the Autobots are no longer watching."

"Excellent work. Rise, Darkflight, my loyal spy."

She stood slowly, and Megatron grinned wickedly as yellow optics turned to a blood red.

)*(*)*(

So many breaks! This chapter switched POV a lot, doesn't it? I just felt evil today, so I made her a Decepticon spy. PROBLEM? I'm sorry this took so long, I had bad writer's block. It's gone now, though! For those of you who also read "37 More Things", that took place _before_ this. Just a heads up. I hope nobody hates me for doing this! *evil smile* Bye for now!  
(P.S., this isn't over!)


	14. Live to Lie

Megatron couldn't suppress a pleased smirk. Everything had gone according to plan. Darkflight would feign disassociation with the Decepticons, joining the Autobots and ascending in rank. In the process, she would learn all about the inner workings of the Autobots' security and all their secrets, battle tactics, and plans for the Decepticons. Several of her true comrades had to take her attacks to make it look as real as possible, and they had to keep the charade up even in the base, just in case the Autobots were watching. There were, of course, a few close calls, including the capture of Darkflight and Wheeljack so she could bring in sensitive information in person. Those infernal Autobots had rescued them both, but not before Darkflight transmitted much vital information and she'd planned the most important stage of their plan to occur the next day. Yes, there had been close calls. But everything had gone right.

Darkflight saluted her leader. "Master Megatron, do you have any further orders for me?" Her voice was clear and still, even with the gaping hole in her side. She had a strong will; that made her a valuable soldier and spy.

She stood alert and at attention while Megatron told Darkflight her next mission. He finished and asked, "Do you accept?" There was only one answer.

After a nanoclick of hesitation, she said, "Yes, my lord." She bowed quickly and walked away.

)*(*)*(

Starscream eyed Darkflight warily as she walked past him to her old quarters from before, back when she was a Decepticon and had never been known as anything else. Sure, she'd done a good job, and she'd collected information for the Decepticons to use in their imminent attack on the Autobot base, but that hardly made her better than him... right?

Rumors were flying around among the Seekers that Darkflight may be promoted to second in command, replacing Starscream. Of course, Megatron denied these, but Starscream had a feeling he was lying. Wasn't that what Decepticons did? Lie?

Even if Darkflight were lying about being an Autobot, who could know if their peace-loving tendencies hadn't rubbed off on her? Starscream was suspicious. He didn't take his optics off Darkflight until the door had slid into place behind her and obscured her from his view. Spy mission or not, Starscream believed Darkflight was still a traitor.

)*(*)*(

The Ark was in a subdued panic. Anyone in there would be able to feel the tense atmosphere as the Autobots prepared for a sudden Decepticon attack. Prowl was planning battle strategies, Hoist was stockpiling emergency energon for refueling in the middle of battle, nobody stood idle. Optimus oversaw all the work, offering input and providing direction.

In contrast, Wheeljack stayed in his workshop, repairing his mind control device and taking it apart, putting it back together and disassembling it all over again. Nobody bothered him. As he put it back together for the 63rd time, his mind snagged and held on the one question everyone was wondering: How did she do it?

For several stellar cycles, Darkflight had been a part of the Autobot team. In their highest recon/spy position. She'd made friends (sort of) with every bot in the base. Everyone knew her, respected her, seldom questioned her ruthlessness or motives in battle. She had, after all, been a Decepticon. Now they all knew she really was a Decepticon, loyal to their cause.

Sensory memories of their brief kiss triggered around Wheeljack's mouth, and he refocused on his work. He may not like her anymore, but he still respected Darkflight. She had skills that were probably beyond any of the Autobots', and she knew how to use them. If only she'd used them for good, maybe the Autobots could—

"Wheeljack." Wheeljack turned and saw Prowl standing in the doorway. "Grapple needs assistance with some reinforcement work on the north wall."

The scientist rose from his workbench, glad for some real work to do. Not only would he be helping, he'd have something to thoroughly distract him from his dark thoughts.

~**2 Days Later~**

It was no surprise when Soundwave found the Ark to be heavily guarded. Megatron didn't seem to care; he tweaked his battle plan slightly, but not by much. It was ingenious in the first place, if he did say so himself. The coneheads converged on the Ark from the air, drawing attention away from the Seekers, who would attack from the opposite direction. The rest of the Decepticons would begin the large-scale offensive once there was sufficient cover fire. This was where it would change. Originally, Soundwave would sneak in the base and disable Teletraan-1, automatic defenses, and the like. Now, his size would be a bit too obvious for the several security cameras and sensors strategically placed (most likely by Prowl) around the base. They decided to send Darkflight instead.

Megatron spoke into his comlink. Dirge, Thrust, and Ramjet flew in from the southwest, and, as expected, a few Autobots appeared from the entrance and began to shoot. Brawn damaged Dirge's left wing, then Smokescreen landed a hit on Ramjet's nosecone. Thrust stalled and did a loop in the air: the Seekers' signal. Streaks of black, white, and blue stretched across the sky, and the party of Autobots below was peppered with laser fire. Tracks, Cliffjumper, Ironhide, and the twins jumped out and shot back. The scuffle continued for a few moments, then Megatron motioned for the Decepticons to follow as he led them into battle.

"Decepticons, charge!"

They flowed from behind a large pile of rocks, and as they approached, it seemed like the number of Autobots increased three-fold. It was an all out battle, just like the one from a little over a month ago. This time, Darkflight was fighting with the Decepticons. "_Both sides will undoubtedly suffer losses,_" Prime had said. They sure as slag would.

After a quick sweep of battlefield, Darkflight could see he wasn't out. Inside the base, then. She calmly walked through the clamor, wearing an expression of impassiveness and subtle amusement. Often, her former comrades would gawk for a nanosecond, just long enough for her to shoot them in the legs or chassis and incapacitate them. The other Decepticons would finish them off.

Slipping inside the base, she disguised her energy signature and picked her way around various methods of detection the Autobots had set out. Soon enough, Darkflight had activated her high powered x-ray vision and seen him sitting in his workshop. The edges of her lip components rose just slightly. The door opened, and she stepped inside. It closed behind her, and as Wheeljack stared, she shot the interface that controlled the door's motion.

Wheeljack stood quickly, stepping into the middle of the room. "Darkflight! What—" He didn't finish, because Darkflight shot him in the shoulder, and he fell.

"—am I doing here?" she finished his sentence. "It's simple. Megatron ordered me to execute you." Wheeljack's vocal components shorted out for a short moment; a click and some static were audible as he tried to speak. He managed to say, "Me?"

"Yes, you. To show my loyalty to the Decepticons. It shocked me, really, when he gave me the order. But, you know, all's fair in war." Darkflight examined her gun; it wasn't _her_ gun; no, that one she'd left here, and she didn't know where it was exactly. And the other one she'd dropped in her escape.

He tried to look indignant. "It's not all fair. There are some things that are just wrong, war or not. Besides, if Megatron told you to, why haven't you killed me yet?"

Darkflight looked at him. "It's a bit complicated. But you're smart; you'll understand. I like you, 'Jack. I really _like_ you. It's not like all the other friendships I forged here. No, you're...different."

"Different? What's so different? And what about Outback?" Wheeljack managed to deactivate a few sensory circuits around his wound, but many of them were unreachable, so he felt intense pain.

She didn't answer his first questions, but replied, "Outback? Please. He was just a tool. A pawn to get me good marks and in Optimus's good books. I was never really his friend. Nevertheless, I did need him for the mission to succeed."

All this information was hard for Wheeljack to absorb all at once. "We all thought you were a good one, Darkflight. That you'd really changed."

"Hm. That should teach you never to trust a Decepticon. Oh, look. Execution time." Darkflight stepped forward, aiming carefully at Wheeljack's Spark chamber and smiling just a bit.

"But, Darkflight!" Wheeljack cried. "We didn't trust a Decepticon! We trusted _you_!"

She paused, her finger hovering in a dangerous place. After a short silence, she smirked and said, "Is there a difference?"

She pulled the trigger.

)*(*)*(

And thus, this fanfiction has run its course. It's over. Unless you guys want an epilogue...? Oh, screw it, I think I'll write an epilogue. Nothing you guys can do about it anyway. *evil laugh* But seriously, what do you guys think? EPILOGUE? I don't know about you, but... I think it'd be pretty awesome. Though I enjoy closure, you guys are the readers. I write to please! (I'm lying. I write for the sake of my health and sanity.) In other news... I do hate myself for writing this. I'm kind of a hypocrite, since I hate whenever Wheeljack dies/is killed in any continuity. Yet here I am... Writing _this_. Oh, shame on you, TFSuperfan. *coughEXTREMEHYPOCRITEcough* Oh well. Read, fave, rant and review! Until the actual last chapter! Oh, and huge question for all you guys:

**Should I have a sequel?**


	15. Epilogue: Gone

Ratchet grinned. The Decepticons had retreated, and with a few nasty injuries. He went inside to repair his Autobot comrades and decided to tell Wheeljack of their victory. He navigated his way to the inventor's workshop.

The medic got a bad feeling when the door wouldn't open automatically. He tried to manually open it, but it seemed stuck. Reluctantly, he pried the door out of its place and hope Wheeljack wouldn't be too upset. There was no way on Cybertron or Earth Ratchet could've held back the screech that came from his vocal synthesizer. It blew a fuse when he saw his friend lying on the floor.

There were two laser blast wounds in his shoulder and forehead. His optics were unlit, and his body was no longer vibrantly colorful in the likeness of the country that made his vehicle mode. Ratchet rushed to Wheeljack's side, but he was assuming the worst.

He quickly examined the processor. No luck; it was fried. Ratchet wanted to offline his optics as he opened the Spark chamber. Slowly, he lifted the twin panels and hoped there would be something in there. He found it to be empty.

Wheeljack was gone.

)*(*)*(

Everyone congratulated her as they returned to base. "Everyone" meaning all the Decepticons excluding Starscream, who had probably stalked off somewhere to sulk, but Darkflight didn't really care. She felt like a little part of her had died along with him. She shook her head. No, those thoughts were imbecilic; she had no connection to him anymore.

Later on, they decided to celebrate; an Autobot dying was often an excuse for the Decepticons drinking.

Megatron said, "Darkflight has truly proven her loyalty to the Decepticon cause! We welcome her back and hope for many stellar cycles of Autobot deaths and Decepticon victories! To the Decepticons!" He held up a cube of energon and drank deeply. Everyone joined in with a loud "to the Decepticons!" and swigged their energon.

Darkflight didn't touch her energon. She sat for a while, listening to their drunken conversation. She ended up just taking the cube and going silently to her quarters. As she left, she could hear Megatron saying with slurred words and hiccups, "Remember back on—hic—Cybertron when we—hic—would kill them every—hic—slaggin' orbital cycle?"

"Yeah," Thundercracker said with another gulp of energon. "Mass slaughter! Haha..." He fell off his chair. "S-Soundwave! More energon!" Soundwave ignored the blue Seeker.

Once she was alone in her room, Darkflight set the energon cube down on her desk and laid down. It'd been a long day. She turned to face the wall, and her optics flickered blue before they offlined and she went into recharge.

**END**

)*(*)*(

Okay, now it's _really_ over. I wanted to finish this up today before writing some other stuff, so... I feel so excited and stuff; this was so dramatic and tragic. *evil laughter* I LOVE TRAGEDY. If you want to get the full effect of this, read the first part slowly and turn on _00_Korean Drama - Sad Love. _It's on Grooveshark. It fits so well...! It won't last the whole song, but still... :D And who doesn't love drunk Decepticons? Seriously! Okay, so review, and read again and again! I need your help, guys! I will repeat my question:

**SHOULD I HAVE A SEQUEL?**


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